Adjustable strike



Nov. 22, 1966 E. SCHLAGE 3,287,055

ADJUSTABLE STRIKE Filed May 12, 1964 INVENTOR. ERNEST L. SCHLAGE BY M W 4.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,287,055 ADJUSTABLE STRIKE Ernest L. Schlage, Burlingame, Califi, assignor to Schlage Lock Company, a corporation Filed May 12, 1964, Ser. No. 366,699 Claims. (Cl. 292-341.12)

This invention relates to adjustable strikes for door locks and more particularly to a strike that is adjustable to permit adjustment of the clearance between the fiat face of the associated latch bolt and the cooperating face of the strike.

It is desirable to be able to adjust a door strike in two ways. One adjustment is of the clearance between the edge of the door through which the latch bolt projects and the face of the strike plate that depresses the latch bolt as the door is closing. Proper clearance between the edge of the door and the face of the strike plate ensures adequate depression of the latch bolt as the door is closing. An example of an adjustable strike of this type is shown in application Serial No. 336,204 filed January 7, 1964, now Patent No. 3,161,429 issued December 15, 1964. Another type of adjustment permits a change of the clearance between the fiat face of the latch bolt and the cooperating face of the strike so that such clearance may be adjusted to a point at which the door does not rattle when in a closed position. An example of this type of adjustable strike is shown in Patent No. 3,007,732 of November 7, 1961. The instant invention is concerned with this latter type of adjustment that may be made to prevent rattling of a closed door.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of an adjustable strike that lends itself to simple adjustment after the strike has been installed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unitary strike which may be readily adjusted without the necessity of incorporating relatively movable parts in the structure.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an adjusting means particularly suited for incorporation in a combined strike and strike b-ox.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a conventional strike to which is fixedly secured a strike box incorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross section of a portion ofa door frame on which the combination strike and strike box of FIG. 1 is secured and showing the associated door in cooperation with the strike structure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a one piece strike and strike box incorporating the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective similar to FIG. 3 of a combination strike and strike box showing a modified form of the invention.

In detail, and first with reference to FIG. 1, the invention is adapted for use with a conventional strike generally designated 1 which is generally rectangular in shape and includes an integral camming lip 2. The strike plate 1 is provided with a central aperture 3 through which the latch bolt 4 of the associated lockset on door 5 is adapted to project.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 a strike box generally designated 8 is fixedly secured to the strike plate 1 at upper and lower apertures 9 and 10 of the strike plate 1. The strike box 8 includes a sidewall 12 which may be positioned coplanar with the vertically extending edge 11 of the aperture 3 in strike plate 1. The frame 15 of the door 5 is provided with a recess 16 for receiving therein the strike box 8 (FIG. 2).

By the present invention the sidewall 12 of the strike box 8 is provided with upper and lower elongated apertures 17, 18 which extend horizontally from a point adjacent the strike plate 1 to a point adjacent the bottom 19 of the strike box 8. Said apertures 17, 18 are positioned so as to provide therebetween a central portion 20 about centrally between the upper and lower end walls of the strike box 8. In other words, the apertures 17, 18 are positioned so that the central portion 20 is alongside the fiat face of the associated latch bolt 4.

It should be noted that the strike box 8 is preferably formed of relatively thin sheet metal compared to the strike plate 1 so that the material of sidewall 12 is readily deflected by means of a screw driver or like tool inserted through the opening 3 in the strike 1 and through one or the other or both of the apertures 17, 18. By employing the vertical edge 11 of the hole 3 as a fulcrum the portion 20 between apertures 17, 18 may be deflected away from the plane of sidewall 12 and inwardly of the strike box 8 so as to reduce the clearance between the fiat face of the latch bolt 4 and the associated sidewall 12. As seen in FIG. 2, rattling of the door may be prevented by defiecting the portion 20 to whatever extent is necessary to reduce the celarance between said portion and the latch bolt. In the event the adjustment is too great it is a simple matter to deform the portion 20 toward the plane of the sidewall 12 until the desired amount of clearance is achieved.

The invention lends itself particularly to use in a combination strike and strike box such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3 the strike 20 is formed with an integral strike box having a sidewall 21 and a bottom wall 22. In this case during the forming of the combination strike and strike box the sidewall 21 is provided with upper and lower slots 23, 24 respectively similar to the slots 17, 18 of FIG. 1. After the combination strike and strike box has been installed, it is a simple matter to deform the portion 25 between slots 23, 24 outwardly from the plane of sidewall 21 so as to reduce the clearance between portion 25 and the associated latch bolt as much as is required to eliminate rattling of the door.

A similar structure is shown in FIG. 4 including a strike plate 28 and sidewall 29 of the strike box. In this case only one slot 30 is provided centrally between the upper and lower ends of the latch bolt opening so that the adjacent portion 31 of sidewall 29 may be deformed outwardly by a screw driver or like tool to reduce the clearance.

The structure of FIG. 3 is, of course, preferable to that of FIG. 4 since in the structure of FIG. 3 a relatively smooth surface is presented to the fiat face of the latch bolt and the latter does not have the tendency to be scored as might be the case with the structure of FIG. 4.

It will be apparent that the above described invention provides an extremely simple adjustable strike which permits the strike to be installed in a speedy manner without requiring accurate measurements so that the workman installing the strike may adjust the same after installation in a matter of seconds to eliminate rattling of the door. The continuity of material at the opposite ends of portion 20 (FIG. 1) and portion 25 (FIG. 3) results in a strong arch-like bearing piece that is adequate to resist the forces normally impressed on the structure.

It will also be noted that the slots formed to provide the desired adjustability are sufliciently small so as not to detract from the appearance of the strike structure or to weaken the same.

The very specific description given of the preferred forms of the invention should not be taken as restrictive as it will be apparent that various modifications in design may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a door strike structure that includes a strike plate and a generally planar latch bolt engaging element dis- Patented Nov. 22, 1966 posed generally at right angles to said plate and against which element one side of a latch bolt is adapted to be disposed when the associated door is closed,

said element being formed with a pair of vertically spaced openings defining a horizontally extending portion therebetween,

whereby said portion may be deflected outwardly of the plane of said element to reduce the clearance between said portion and said one side of said latch bolt.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said openings are horizontally extending elongated slots and said portion is a generally rectangular section of said element.

3. In a door strike structure that includes an outer strike plate, a generally planar latch bolt engaging element disposed generally at right angles to said plate, and an inner plate integral with the inner edge of said element,

said element being provided with a horizontally elongated opening to permit deflection of the adjacent portion of said element between said outer plate and said inner plate,

whereby said portion may be deformed outwardly of the slane of said element to provide a horizontally elongated projection reducing the clearance between a strike box integral with said plate and including a generally planar sidewall generally at right angles to said plate and a bottom wall spaced inwardly of said strike plate,

said sidewall being provided with a pair of vertically spaced openings defining a horizontally extending portion therebetween,

whereby said portion may be deflected outwardly of 'the plane of said sidewall and inwardly of said box to reduce the clearance between said portion and the associated'side of the associated latch bolt.

5. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said openings are a pair of horizontally elongated slots extending substantially between said strike plate and said bottom wall.

References Cited by the Examiner said portion and the associated side of a latch bolt. 25 EDWARD C ALLEN Primary Examiner 4. A door strike structure comprising: a strike plate,

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION November 22, 1966 Patent No. 3,287,055

Ernest L. Schlage It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 23, for "slane" read plane Signed and sealed this 12th day of September 1967.

( AL) Attcst:

ERNEST W. SW'IDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

3. IN A DOOR STRIKE STRUCTURE THAT INCLUDES AN OUTER STRIKE PLATE, A GENERALLY PLANAR LATCH BOLT ENGAGING ELEMENT DISPOSED GENERALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID PLATE, AND AN INNER PLATE INTEGRAL WITH THE INNER EDGE OF SAID ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED OPENING TO PERMIT DEFLECTION OF THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID OUTER PLATE AND SAID INNER PLATE, WHEREBY SAID PORTION MAY BE DEFORMED OUTWARDLY OF THE SLANE OF SAID ELEMENT TO PROVIDE A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PROJECTION REDUCING THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID PORTION AND THE ASSOCIATED SIDE OF A LATCH BOLT. 